It’s Placement time at the Indian School of Business (ISB). The air is full of tense moments, apprehensions, speculations, and finally dreams are realised. The emphasis again this year has been on the ‘best fit’.

Placements are in full swing at the campus for the students of the Class of 2008, at the ISB. This year as many as 220, top of the line, national, and international companies, from diverse sectors have already visited the campus and more are expected before the placements comes to a close. Participating companies came from various countries like Australia, China, Malaysia, Switzerland, US, Luxembourg, Germany, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bermuda, London etc. These 220 companies have made over 600 offers.

The ISB Placements 2008 have attracted a healthy mix of large business groups as well as niche players across industries. Companies from all industries such as retail, real estate, finance, healthcare, investment banking, hospitality, pharma, insurance, re- insurance, airline, media, are participating in the placements season. Sectors such as consulting, finance, and technology are favourites, so also growth sectors like healthcare and real estate, etc. Many senior roles are being offered during this year too.

While the placements go on till March 16, majority of the placements got completed in the first six days itself! For the last few years the ISB has been a pioneer of sorts in its placement records and trends - facilitating dramatic careers shifts; initiating the trend of lateral placements in India, securing leadership positions for women, and essentially raising the bar for B-school graduates.

Making a formal announcement, Dean Rao said, “Placements at the ISB have commenced and we are greatly encouraged by the strong response from the corporate world. An interesting trend, this year, is that Real Estate and Healthcare companies, both in India and abroad are recruiting students for senior roles.”

Commenting on the diversity factor of placements, Savita Mahajan Associate Dean - Admissions, Career Services and Strategic Initiatives, said, "Our focus has always been to increase the diversity in our student body. These efforts have been rewarded with both national and international companies coming to recruit the ISB graduates in a wide variety of domains and roles, from India and 20 different countries across the globe."

Goldman Sachs, British Petroleum, Deutsche Bank, Tischman Speyer, Mckinsey and Co, BCG, Barclays Bank, Google, Microsoft, DRL CB Richard Ellis, Apollo Hospitals, Johnson & Johnson, Unilever. Bharti Group, are some of the leading companies that are visiting the ISB this year, with more companies slated to come in.